


Folklore series 🤍

by wingwinist



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Folklore, M/M, Nostalgia, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25571881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingwinist/pseuds/wingwinist
Summary: A jenren/noren series inspired by Folklore songs on how their relationship had ended a long time ago but they are remembering back the old times and how good they were and if something had been different would they still be together?
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Kudos: 10





	1. the 1 i used to love

**Author's Note:**

> Starting a mini-series.This one is based on the 1 by Taylor Swift .  
> 400+ words. Look foward to my updates :)

Sitting in the middle of their old apartment crammed with cardboard boxes scrawled on in black broad felt-tip marker, dirt & dust on the floor, white parcel labels stuck on black garbage bags of clothes, as each thing is packed and stacked, the empty apartment will become a bittersweet memory for Renjun.

As The 1 by Ts played in the background  
_  
“But we were something, don't you think so?  
Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool  
And if my wishes came true  
It would've been you  
In my defense, I have none  
For never leaving well enough alone  
But it would've been fun  
If you would've been the one_

_I persist and resist the temptation to ask you_  
If one thing had been different  
Would everything be different today?” 

Renjun got lost in his train of thoughts as he is remembering back the old times as he wondered would everything be different today? if something had been different would they still be together? Tears started to roll down his cheeks as he recalls his past memory with Jeno. 

The apartment seems so foreign now. Renjun remembers how that one time, Jeno tried to bake cake for his birthday and failed miserably as he almost burned the kitchen down. He remembers the smell of Jeno’s strawberry candle would spread through the entire apartment and how one summer they were attacked by a swarm of bees. Renjun blamed the strawberry scented candle because it smelled sweet and the bees are attracted to it. Jeno would just laugh at Renjun as he panics over the bees. He miss spending summer with him. 

As the aroma took him back to his mis-spent youth. He snapped out of his thoughts and walked around the apartment to check if everything is packed. As he was walking along the narrow corridor to their bedroom, his steps felt heavy. The bedroom had a million shared memories between them. That bedroom was when Renjun said “I love you” for the first time to Jeno. Midnight conversations , cuddles and comfort took place in that bedroom but now looking at it makes him feel uncomfortable because that bedroom is also where they broke up.

Filled with regret at the fact that the past can’t be undone , Renjun smiled as he walked out of the apartment ready to move all of the things, hoping he could forget Jeno and start a new life . Despite feeling sad and hurt, Jeno did give Renjun one hell of a youth he would never forget.


	2. my cardigan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1k+ words.  
> Jeno's/Renjun's pov post-breakup. Recalling their memories when they were younger as kids, teens and up till now. Remembering how they got to know each other and how to Jeno , Renjun became his greatest love,favourite memory and regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  Part 2 is a mixture of the songs is Folklore:)  
> Thank you for reading ! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Kudos if you liked it!

Jeno has fallen asleep whilst listening to Folklore.

Jeno’s dreams took him back to when he was a kid, he had a classmate named Renjun whose eyes light up like the stars that shined in the sky. “When you are young they assume you know nothing” but Jeno believed he knew he could see a future with Renjun when they started to grow close as years passed by. He woke up from his nap as the briny smell of the beach comes, that fragrance reminded him of the all the summer he had spent with Renjun.  
One particular memory made Jeno’s hand sweats. Jeno had hangout with Hyuck all summer long last year because Renjun was back in China as he promised he would spend the summer with his parents that year.

It is the first day of school after summer break. The excitement wired Jeno’s body like he was plugged into the mains. He felt like his brain was on fast-forward and there was no off switch. He was excited to see Renjun. He went looking for Renjun as he noticed the other is not in the classroom. Jeno asked Hyuck about Renjun whereabouts to only finding out that he moved classes. His excited heart is now shattered and filled with curiousity to why did he move classes. Cold sweat glistened on his furrowed brow. With hands clasped tightly and constantly fiddling with his knuckles, weaving his fingers in and out of each other. He thought Hyuck had told Renjun that they had spent the summer together. Jeno never told Renjun he invited Hyuck to his summer home. Jeno is now drowning in guilt.

An opportunity came rolling in, Renjun is throwing a birthday party. Jeno wasn’t invited to his party but he planned to go anyways. Jeno was on a Renjun look-out the entire night when finally he spotted Renjun alone standing next to the drinks he rushed towards him, shouting his name out loud to get his attention. Renjun tried to run to towards the garden outside as he panics. Jeno chased him and grabbed him arm right before they fell on the ground. Staring into each other’s eyes, those eyes Jeno had been longing for, the familiar pair of eyes that could light up the whole city. Right then and there, Jeno stood up as he helped Renjun. He then pulled him close, without a word being said they kissed in the garden infront of all their stupid friends. Just like that, they spent the night cathing up, talking about they how spent their summer.

Then he remembered how everything was great that time, to kiss in cars and downtown bars. It was all we needed at the time because they were so in love. You drew stars around my scars, all of the painful memory and hardships Jeno was going through Renjun was always by his side. But now I'm bleedin' but Renjun is not there anymore to kiss him better. To comfort him and tell him everything is okay. Jeno is in tears as he is reminiscing those times Renjun had his back. He wished he could turn back time and save their relationship but ego had the best of them.

Jeno’s thoughts deepens as he now recalls memory from when they started to have long distance relationships. Renjun is studying art back in his hometown, China. Jeno is now training as an athlete in Korea.  
The first few months was hard, but then they got used to it for a while. That didn’t last long as they started to grow apart due to their busy lifestyle. Renjun spends hours drawing, meanwhile Jeno is busy training the whole day. By the time, it reaches night both of them are sensitive due to lack of sleep and tired from the whole day. They would argue over small things. One thing leads to another. All those small misunderstanding and fights eventually build up. They ended up having a huge fight over everything they had ignored before. They blew up and blamed on another.

That fight ended badly, in a flash they broke up over the phone. Screaming and yelling to each other, complaining about each other. Our coming-of-age has come and gone. Suddenly this summer, it's clear.  
This year was supposed to be their 5th summer together if they hadn’t fought over the phone and broken up. Both of them regret their actions that night, but none of them tried to speak up and fix it.

It was midnight, Jeno is just in his room organizing his stuff. When he remembered a huge box was delivered to his house which he hasn’t opened yet. He rushed downstairs to pick up the box. The sender was unknown. He sat down on the floor and start to opened the box.The first thing he saw was a baby blue cardigan he had given to Renjun that one time, when he was crying and having a hard time during their early days of long distance relationship. His heart shrinked, tears forming in his eyes. He stared at the cardigan for a while even hugging his close to his chest. It smells like Renjun. 

_  
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan  
Under someone's bed  
You put me on and said I was your favorite_

Jeno took the cardigan to bed with him, crying his eyes out. He gave Renjun this cardigan so that he will always be reminded that Jeno is always there for him. It was Jeno’s favourite cardigan his mother knitted for him. It was special in so many ways. Now realizing that it is back in his house, made him understand that all this time he has been denying their break-up but it was real. It’s really over between them. Jeno cried himself to bed that night. He regret, how he didn’t even try to save their relationship and just let all those years and summers they’ve shared together seemed like nothing now.He still has hopes to be with Renjun again despite a few years has passed. Renjun was his greatest love after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay updated!


	3. leaving out the side door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1k+ words
> 
> "Renjun gave so many signs but Jeno never tried to turn things around. All this time, he never learnt to read Renjun’s mind"
> 
> “You’re not my homeland anymore”.Jeno couldn’t believe that Renjun would move on so fast"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will they reunited in the future? That’s for another time ! This is the end of my Jenren/Noren series based on Taylor Swift’s new album Folklore. 
> 
> Stay updated!
> 
> Thank you for reading ! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Kudos if you liked it!

It was a fine afternoon in the city. The heavy rain from the morning had washed every sidewalk and gutter clean with a little bit of freshness still lingering in the air. The vibrancy of the city had bounced back in the instant the clouds cleared and already the parks were a hum of activity.  
Jeno was on his way to the grocery store nearby to buy some ingredients to cook dinner. As he was walking aisle by aisle. He swears he saw someone who looks like Renjun. He went closer to confirm if it is him or is it just a figment of his imagination. It was him. Renjun is back in Korea and he didn’t know.  
He saw Renjun accompanied by another boy, Jaemin he thinks his name is. I think I've seen this film before. So I'm leaving out the side door. He used to go to school with them but Jeno never realized that Renjun was ever friends with him. They were laughing over at the chocolate aisle.  
The longer he stared at them from afar he can feel a burning rage hissed through his body like deathly poison, screeching a demanded release in the form of unwanted violence. It was like a volcano erupting; fury sweeping off him like ferocious waves. He was irritated, he wanted to leave right at that moment so he quickly threw everything he needed in his trolley and paid for it. The scene of Renjun laughing with another boy made Jeno turn into the maddest man in town. He was honking everyone on the road and speeding at red lights.

────────────────────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───────────────────────────

Renjun felt someone staring at him. He began to feel awkward when he realized it was Jeno. He hasn’t seen or spoken to Jeno in ages ever since they broke up. Jeno was staring at him angrily thus he pretended to laugh extra loud at Jaemin’s lame jokes which he usually just ignores. The more he did it, Jeno looked like he was about to come at them and punch Jaemin. Fortunately, Jeno left hurtly. Renjun feels like he is in exile seeing him out of the store Renjun felt uneasy in the pit of his stomach. What is this feeling? Sadness? Aching for Jeno? He chose to ignore it. He had swore to himself that he would not dwell in the past.  
_  
I can see you starin', honey  
Like he's just your understudy  
Like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me  
Second, third, and hundredth chances  
Balancin' on breaking branches  
Those eyes add insult to injury_

He is lying to himself because deep down he knows he still has feelings for Jeno. But then he remembered, the few months before they broke up the relationship was rocky and Renjun gave so many signs but Jeno never tried to turn things around. All this time, he never learnt to read Renjun’s mind. Second, third, and hundredth chances. Balancin' on breaking branches.Those eyes add insult to injury. Instead of trying to fix it, he manipulated himself to dating Jaemin. He knew Jaemin from school. They have some similar interest but other than that, they’re completely different people. Renjun doesn’t feel entirely happy with Jaemin. He knows he is using him as a rebound trying to ignore the reality that he has broken up with his childhood lover. He blames himself for it. He can’t break up with Jaemin and go back to Jeno because of his ego. He is also ashamed of himself for not even trying. So now he will try to love and find happiness with Jaemin. He will try at least because he brought this upon himself.

────────────────────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───────────────────────────

His heart twisted and sunk with nerves as he laid in bed. “You’re not my homeland anymore”.Jeno couldn’t believe that Renjun would move on so fast. Jeno thought to himself, it’s so unfair of Renjun to just come back and show up with a new guy given that they broke up so abruptly without even trying to resolve their fight and it wasn’t even that long ago. Renjun didn’t even give a sign. Everything felt unfair to Jeno since the breakup.

A few weeks passed by after the grocery store incident. It was a weekend, Jeno was cleaning his apartment when he found his old phone that had fell on the ground from the top of the cupboard. He decided to turn it on and go through it. It was a mistake.

Jeno had forgotten why he abandoned that phone when it is still in good condition. As the phone starts up again, it showed his lockscreen; it was a picture of Renjun at the beach. He lets out a big sigh, as he recalls why he bought a new phone. He decided to scroll through his gallery. Thousands of pictures and videos of him and Renjun. From baby photos to holiday videos. Without realizing, he ended up watching all of it and day has now turned to night. He was laughing and enjoying himself.

Later that night, he quickly showered then decided to watch a romcom. As he was watching tv, as his train of thoughts brought him to realise that he is still in love with Renjun. He started to compare himself to a mirrorball because he is a reflective of Renjun’s personality. 

Renjun played a big part in Jeno’s life. He showed Jeno every version of himself that he never knew existed or possible. Jeno was never into cuddling and stuff but after dating Renjun, he is clingy as ever. He used to cry when he gets angry but never when he is sad. But now he cries, when he is sad. He does not suppress his feelings anymore. He expresses his feelings well now thanks to Renjun.

_  
I'm still trying everything to get you laughing at me  
And I'm still a believer, but I don't know why  
I've never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try  
I'm still on that trapeze  
I'm still trying everything to keep you looking at me_

With hope in his heart and love for Renjun. Jeno will change himself to the person Renjun likes but obviously even though he tries hard it will never work and he realizes that he still does things Renjun likes in hopes Renjun will still like him. He posts pictures of the beach and they sky often on his Instagram stories. He would retweet beautiful places to go on trip that he knows Renjun utterly enjoys or he would post cute Moomin stuff. He kept trying to get Renjun’s attention through social media as they still follow each other. He believes that Renjun will come back to him and still has feelings for him. For now, he will try to become friends with Renjun again. Small steps filled with hope and longing to be loved. He will try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look foward to my upcoming updates :) Thanks again for reading! Kudos!


End file.
